Adverse conditions such as fogged mirrors and a moist, humid atmosphere are almost certain to exist in bathrooms with no installed exhaust ventilation fan providing a means to create air changes in the room and thus remove the hot water vapor. However, these adverse conditions are often also experienced in bathrooms where exhaust ventilation fans are installed and operable. This moist atmosphere results in mold and mildew that is problematic in many bathrooms.
Frequently, many bathrooms with and without exhaust ventilation fans exhibit poor removal of hot water vapor. Wiping fogged-over mirrors and re-toweling multiple times is aggravating and time consuming, and the humid atmosphere inside the room can become antagonistic toward normal grooming activities such as grooming hair and applying cosmetics. These adverse circumstances are generally tolerated because there exists no simple, easy and inexpensive way to install an optimally located exhaust ventilation fan in an existing bathroom.
In the existing art, there are products that allow for the replacement of an inoperable or poorly operating exhaust ventilation fan. These replacement kits re-use the existing fan housing and are limited for use in replacing only the most common (and typically smallest) exhaust ventilation fans that are in wide spread use. Some products allow for the removal of an existing exhaust ventilation fan, whereby the electrical power source and the exhaust ventilation tubing that already exists remains in place and is re-purposed to support the new replacement fan.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2015/0226443 to Zakula, et al., incorporated herein by reference, describes a ventilation apparatus including a housing assembly with at least one fluid inlet, and at least one fluid outlet, and an exhaust fan assembly coupled to the housing assembly within an inner region. The ventilation assembly can include a configurable mounting panel including a main panel and at least one tab, and at least one configurable flange coupled to the main panel and extending outwardly from the main panel. The configurable mounting panel can include at least one bending region with at least one aperture. The ventilation apparatus can also include a muffler including an aperture, an electrical box enclosure including a lid, and a duct connector assembly each coupled with the housing assembly.
There are several limitations to this apparatus described in the aforementioned patent publication to Zakula et al. When used as a replacement to an existing fan installation, the new fan is optimally located in the same space and location as the existing fan that is being replaced. This may or may not be an optimized location in the bathroom. Also, the access hole size required in the ceiling for the new fan is relatively small. And further, the embodiments described do not provide a recessed installation within the ceiling.
In some situations, there may be no existing exhaust ventilation fans in the bathroom. If there is attic space above the bathroom ceiling, the installation of a fan might be simplified as the hole created in the ceiling can be just large enough to accommodate the exhaust ventilation fan housing. If there is no attic space above, installing a fan in this situation would almost certainly require the creation of a hole in the ceiling large enough to provide both an electrical power supply and an exhaust ventilation duct for removal of the exhaust air stream to the exterior of the home. The hole created in the ceiling in this situation would likely need to be larger than the hole size needed to install the fan housing (i.e. a hole defined by the perimeter of the fan housing that is being installed).
In situations where a larger ceiling hole is required, repairing the ceiling around the newly installed fan would need to be undertaken across several days. It would require the use of drywall patching and therefore the use of drywall compound which involves nominally at least a 24 hour drying period before sanding. If the drywall joints and seams require a second application of drywall compound, at least another day would be required before the job is completed. The patched area may then be painted with primer, allowed to properly dry, and then the entire bathroom ceiling may be re-painted. In light of the foregoing, it would be advantageous to provide an apparatus or method of installation that can be completed quickly and efficiently.
With regard to bathroom exhaust ventilation fans, there are two other problem areas that need to be addressed. There currently exists a need for a simple means for relocating an existing exhaust ventilation fan to a more optimized location such as above and just outside of the shower area where the hot water vapor is being generated. Also, there exists a need for a simple means of recessing the installation of the exhaust ventilation fan above the surface level of the ceiling. The creation of a recessed area in the ceiling surface enhances the ability to more effectively capture and remove the hot water vapor.
While the problems surrounding the installation of an exhaust ventilation fan in an existing bathroom have been discussed thus far, the same installation issues and concerns are limiting the introduction of other electrically powered apparatuses inside existing rooms. The examples include but are not limited to apparatuses such as:
a) Ceiling fans of the type that are suspended into the room. Because of their weight and dynamic loading when rotating, these fans require secure support by positively affixing their mounting hardware into the existing structural support members of the room.
b) Recessed can lights in ceilings which provide a means for dimmable overhead lighting across the entire room. This type of lighting reduces, or can even eliminate the need for line-of-sight light sources such as torch lamps and table lamps. Line-of-sight light sources tend to be harsh and glaring for the room occupants, and typically illuminate only a small area within the room.
c) Sconce type lighting in the walls of a room as both a source of light and an architectural feature.
d) Safety illumination lighting such as those activated by motion sensors.
e) Audio speakers installed in ceilings, walls, and even floors where hard wired speaker systems are preferred.
f) Cameras, motion detectors and other such devices employed in the installation of security systems.
g) Other such types of apparatuses that provide for the upgrading and modernization of a home. i.e. home automation devices.
There exists a multitude of opportunities to enhance, improve, and modernize existing rooms using commonly available electrically powered apparatuses. It would be advantageous to provide a simple and economical means and method for providing and concealing the access space needed to supply utilities to the selected electrically powered apparatus. Furthermore, there exists an opportunity to provide work space access and a simple, clean, and cost effective way to aesthetically close off such access without a companion installation of an electrically powered apparatus.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,231,022 to Goldenne et al., incorporated herein by reference, describes an enclosure adapted to be recessed into a wall. The enclosure may include an access frame or base to which an access door or lid is hinged or otherwise movable. This reference provides a means of installing electrical control components in a recessed housing, but does not provide work space access.
Further to the above, there also exists the opportunity to utilize an improved means for the installation of a variety of recessed electrically powered apparatuses in new construction. U.S. Patent Publication No. 2010/0238670 to Moench, incorporated herein by reference, describes an enclosure for use in conjunction with a recessed ceiling fixture is provided which includes a housing constructed from a single piece of fire-resistant gypsum wallboard. The recessed fixture is mounted to the interior of the support flange after installation of the housing between the building joists. However, the approach taken to achieve compliance with the building standards introduces additional components that must be installed prior to the completion of the ceiling installation, and these components provide no means for the mounting of the various electrically powered apparatuses being installed.